Bug is still working on growing her teeth, but how cute is her front gap?

Since first learning (way back in preschool) the importance of brushing your teeth, I've done my best not to miss a day of oral care in my life. Does it happen from time to time? Sure. My world is busy, and there are plenty of days I rush out the door (with 2 kids in tow), start the car and leave the driveway before realizing, "Um. I so did not brush my teeth this morning." I tend to brush in the morning and before bed, and sad to report that I only intermittently use antiseptic mouthwash.And?(Come close)::whispering:: I don't floss.GASP! HORRORS!Fact that will knock your socks off:Brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth.75 percent!That's like...MOST OF YOUR MOUTH.LISTERINE passed along some other very interesting tidbits about oral care:

There are more germs in your mouth than there are people on earth!

Oral disease is now the most chronic childhood illness in the U.S.#

Millions of children are sufferingandexperiencing pain so severe, it affects their ability to eat, sleep and learn.

It doesn’t just affect children either, as nearly half of American adults also suffer from some form of periodontal (gum) disease and may not even know it.# It is an early form of gum diseaseand is usually painless, but if left untreated, it can lead to even more serious oral health problems like the loss of soft tissue, bone and teeth.

As many as 130 millionAmericans lack dental insurance, including more than 15.4 million children.

More than 51 million school hours and 164 million work hours are lost each year due to dental disease, leading to increased educational disparities and decreased productivity.1

Doesn't that just make you want to go brush your teeth?

I know that I have 2 little girls who look to me as an example of all things in life, including oral hygiene. From the moment they had teeth, they've been teeth brushers. I make sure they brush twice a day as well as attend two annual trips to the dentist. Hubby and I try to make cleaning our teeth fun for the kiddos. But I still have a lot to teach them.

So when I caught wind of the LISTERINE 21 Day Challenge, I was all ears (or, rather, teeth). The challenge is simple: head over to the LISTERINE Facebook page and make a pledge to brush, floss and rinse with LISTERINE®ULTRACLEAN®
twice a day. Did you know it takes 21 days to create a habit? By committing to this kind of oral care regime for 3 weeks, I am hoping not only to improve my oral health, but to inspire my daughters to take seriously their oral health as well.But I'm not doing this alone.Oh no.Because I care about y'all too much.So I'm challenging YOU: join me in the LISTERINE® 21 Day Challenge. I'm starting the challenge TODAY, and kicking it off with a "Clean Yo Teeth" Chat Day on the CSHM Facebook page.The best part (apart from a more pretty smile and better breath)? For every person who signs up for the 21 Day Challenge, LISTERINE® will make a contribution to help Oral Health America's Smiles Across a America® program toward their goal of connecting up to 210,000 children with needed oral health care services in 2013.That's right. By making YOUR smile better, you are helping better the smiles of kids in need. So...are you in? :)

Leave a comment and let me know

that you'll be joining me in the

LISTERINE® 21 Day Challenge!

Disclosure: “I
received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products
Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my
participation in the LISTERINE®
21 Day Challenge. All thoughts and
opinions expressed in this post are my own.”

* $6.40 will be donated for every person who signs up for the challenge, up to $64,000.